Hand brake arrangement for railway flat cars



Jan. 14, 1969 F. CHARLES A 3,421,452

HAND BRAKE ARRANGEMENT FOR RAILWAY FLAT CARS Filed 001'. 17, 1966 7 Sheet Of 2 INVENTOR. ASA FRANKLIN CHARLES ATTORNEY HAND BRAKE ARRANGEMENT FOR RAILWAY FLAT CARS Filed Oct. 17, 1966 Jan. 14, 1969 A. F. CHARLES Sheet United States Patent 3,421,452 HAND BRAKE ARRANGEMENT FOR RAILWAY FLAT CARS Asa Franklin Charles, St. Charles, Mo., assignor to ACF Industries, Incorporated, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Oct. 17, 1966, Ser. No. 587,269 US. Cl. 105-404 Int. Cl. B61d 49/00; B61d 17/00 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Background and description of the invention United States Patent No. 3,163,128 issued Dec. 29, 1964, to S. H. Enochian and illustrates a hand brake arrangement which may be actuated from either the deck of the flat car or the ground adjacent the fiat car. However, the arrangement shown in Patent No. 3,163,128 is directed to a handwheel projecting outwardly from a hand brake mechanism which is mounted beneath the railway car deck with the handwheel being tilted to remain within the AAR clearance line.

The present invention is directed to a hand brake arrangement mounted entirely on the outer surface of the side sill of a railway flat car so as not to interfere with loading and unloading operations, such as the side loading of containers or the like. The hand brake arrangement includes an elongate hand lever which in operative position extends in a generally horizontal plane generally parallel to and closely adjacent the side sill web, the hand lever being manually pivoted back and forth in a vertical plane between its inoperative position and a position extending above the deck of the flat car. Means project outwardly from the outer surface of the side sill web to mount the hand brake arrangement closely adjacent the outer surface of the side sill web and a pulley mounted on the outer surface of the side sill web guides a chain for contorling the brake mechanism. The present invention is mounted entirely outwardly of the side sill web and yet remains within the AAR clearance line.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a hand brake arrangement mounted on a railway flat car so as not to interfere with loading and unloading operations, such as the side loading of containers or trailers.

A further object of this invention is to provide a hand brake arrangement in which a hand lever is arranged within the AAR clearance line closely adjacent the side sill of the flat car and is mounted entirely outwardly of the side sill with the hand lever being easily gripped by a brakeman on the deck of the railway car, on the sill step, or on the ground adjacent the railway flat car.

A further object of this invention is the arrangement of a hand brake arrangement for a flush deck railway fiat car in which the hand lever in inoperative position extends in a generally horizontal plane closely adjacent the flush deck so that the hand lever may be easily gripped by a brakeman.

The invention accordingly comprises the constructions hereinafter described, the scope of the invention being indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which one of various possible embodiments of the invention is illustrated,

FIGURE 1 is a partial side elevation of a railway piggyback flat car illustrating the present invention mounted on the side sill of the flat car;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragment of FIGURE 1 illustrating the hand brake arrangement on the side sill;

FIGURE 3 is a section taken generally along 3-3 of FIGURE 2 and partially showing the flush deck of the railway car;

FIGURE 4 is a top plan of the hand. brake arrangement shown in FIGURES 2 and 3; and

FIGURE 5 is a partial schematic of the hand brake arrangement and brake rigging for the railway flat car.

Referring to the drawings for a better understanding of this invention, a railway piggyback fiat car is indicated generally at 10 having a wheeled truck 11 adjacent each end thereof. A highway trailer T is removably secured for transit by a suitable hitch H to railway car 10. A side sill generally indicated 14 extends along each side of railway car 10 and comprises a side sill web 16, a lower inturned flange 18, and an upper inturned flange 20. A deck plate 22 is secured over upper flange 20 to form a generally flush deck surface. Longitudinal stringers 24 extend longitudinally of railway car 10 beneath deck 22.

Mounted on the outer surface of side sill Web 16 is the hand brake arrangement comprising: the present invention. A generally angle-shaped support bracket 26 projecting laterally outwardly from side sill 14 is secured by welding to the outer surface of web 16 and includes an upper vertically directed portion 28 and a lower generally horizontal portion 30. Also secured by welding to the outer surface of web 16 and extending upwardly in a generally vertical plane above the surface of deck 22 is a support plate 31. The upper portion 28 of support bracket 26 is secured by welding to plate 31. The hand brake arrangement includes a housing 32 secured by nut and bolt combinations 33 to upper bracket portion 28 and enclosing the interior operating mechanism. An angle 34 having a generally vertical downwardly extending leg is secured to the lower side sill flange 18 and a suitable bolt and nut combination 35 secures a lower portion of housing 32 to angle 34. Thus, the hand brake arrangement may be easily removed and replaced upon removal of nut and bolt combinations 33 and 3-5. A hand lever 36 carries a pawl 38 adapted to engage a pinion 40. Pinion 40 is in driving engagement with gear 42 on a chain drum. A holding pawl (not shown) is controlled by a trip lever 44. Chain 46 is secured to the chain drum for movement. It is to be understood that the interior operating mechanism does not comprise any part of the present invention and is manufactured and sold as a Peacock brake Model 1470 by Ellcon-National Inc, 30 King Road, Totowa Borough, N.J. Further details of the interior operating mechanism may be obtained from a 1966 issue of catalog No. 366 of Ellcon-National Inc., entiled, Peacock Products, the entire disclosure of Which is incorporated by this reference.

Hand lever 36 has a loop 47 on its extending free end which may be easily gripped by a brakeman or operator for actuation. Lever 36 in inoperative position extends in a generally horizontal direction closely adjacent side sill web 16. To actuate the brake mechanisms for the truck assemblies 11, loop 47 may be gripped and pivoted to the broken line indication of FIGURE 2 and then pivoted downwardly to its horizontal position for rotating pinion 40 and winding the chain drum connected to gear 42.

Extending downwardly from lower bracket portion 3 are spaced bracket sides 48. Mounted for rotation on shaft 50 extending between sides 48 is a pulley 52. A U-shaped guide or stirrup 56 is welded to sides 48 and guides chain 46.

Chain 46 is connected to one end of a pull rod 58 supported by U-shaped clips 60 on the outer surface of web 16 as indicated in FIGURES l and 5. A second chain 62 is connected to the other end of pull rod 58 and to an end of a floating cylinder lever 64. Air cylinder 66 has a piston rod 68 connected to cylinder lever 64 for actuation of lever 64 independently of the hand brake arrangement. Cylinder lever 64 has a suitable linkage 70 connected to the wheel brake mechanism of one railway truck 11. A rod 72 is connected between cylinder lever 64 and a lever 74 which is pivoted adjacent one end at 76. The other end of lever 74 is connected to linkage 78 for the brake mechanism on the other truck 11. Thus, upon actuation of hand lever 36 cylinder lever 64 is actuated to set the brakes on the railway car trucks 11. The brakes may be suitably released by actuation of trip lever 44.

As shown in FIGURE 3, the hand brake arrangement comprising the present invention is located within the AAR clearance line and is easily mounted on the outer surface of a side sill. Housing 32 is easily secured by bolt and nut combinations 33 to the upper portion 28 of support bracket 26 and elongate hand lever 36 is easily accessible by a brakeman on deck 22, on a sill step, or on the ground adjacent hand lever 36. Only a relatively small portion of the hand brake arrangement projects above the deck surface so a minimum of obstruction is provided by the present arrangement in the event side loading or unloading is desirable. Plate 31 which projects above deck 22- protects the hand brake structure during loading and unloading operations.

In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results obtained.

As various changes could be made in the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. A railway car comprising a supporting deck, a wheeled truck adjacent each end of the deck, a side sill extending longitudinally along each side of the deck including a generally vertically extending web, a generally angle-shaped support bracket secured to the side sill web, said support bracket including an upper generally vertical portion and a lower generally horizontal portion extending laterally outwardly from the outer surface of said side sill web, a hand brake structure mounted on the support bracket closely adjacent the outer surface of said side will web comprising a hand brake operating mechanism and a housing enclosing the hand brake operating mechanism, said housing being secured to the upper generally vertical portion of the support bracket, a pulley secured to the lower side of said lower generally horizontal portion of said support bracket, and an elongate hand lever operatively connected to the operating mechanism for actuating the operating mechanism, said hand lever when in an inoperative position extending in a gencrally horizontal plane generally parallel to and closely adjacent the side sill web at an elevation slightly below the deck, said hand lever being manually pivoted back and forth in a vertical plane between its inoperative position and a position extending above the deck of the flat car for actuating said operating mechanism and adapted to be easily gripped by a brakeman on the deck of the railway car or on the ground adjacent the flat car.

2. A railway car comprising a supporting deck, a wheeled truck adjacent each end of the deck, a brake mechanism for each truck, brake rigging for controlling each brake mechanism, a side sill extending longitudinally along each side of the deck including a generally vertically extending web and a lower inturned flange, a support bracket secured to the side sill web, said support bracket including an upper generally vertical portion and a lower horizontal portion both extending laterally outwardly from the outer surface thereof, an angle secured to the lower inturned flange of the side sill web and having a generally vertical leg extending downwardly from said flange, a hand brake structure secured to the support bracket closely adjacent the outer surface of said side sill web and projecting only a relatively small distance above the adjacent deck, said hand brake structure comprising a hand brake operating mechanism and a housing for enclosing the hand brake operating mechanism, said housing being removably secured to the upper generally vertical portion of the support bracket and the vertical leg of said angle, an elongate cooperating hand lever for actuating the operating mechanism, said hand lever when in inoperative position extending in a generally horizontal plane generally parallel to and closely adjacent the side sill web, said hand lever being manually pivoted back and forth in a vertical plane between its inoperative position and a position extending above the deck of the flat car for actuating said operating mechanism and adapted to be easily gripped by a brakeman on the deck of the railway car or on the ground adjacent the flat car, a flexible connection between each hand brake operating mechanism and the associated brake rigging for actuating the truck brake mechanism upon actuation of said hand lever, and a pulley secured beneath the lower side of said lower generally horizontal portion of said support bracket for guiding the flexible connection between the hand operating mechanism and the brake rigging.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,163,128 12/1964 Enochian -368 ARTHUR L. LA POINT, Primary Examiner. RICHARD A. BERTSCH, Assistant Examiner. 

